


He Will Never Feel This Way

by butterflybaby91



Series: It's History to Me [6]
Category: Les Misérables (2012), Les Misérables - All Media Types, Les Misérables - Schönberg/Boublil, Les Misérables - Victor Hugo
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, F/M, History Museum
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-02-23
Updated: 2013-02-23
Packaged: 2017-12-03 07:46:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/695920
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/butterflybaby91/pseuds/butterflybaby91
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Enjolras notices her sadness for the first time</p>
            </blockquote>





	He Will Never Feel This Way

“Is it possible for you two to keep your hands off of each other?” Enjolras growled as he walked past Marius’ desk to find him sitting there with Cosette in his lap, yet again, as the two frantically kissed each other. They broke apart as Enjolras passed, red faced and embarrassed looking.

“Sorry Enj,” Cosette trilled hoping off Marius’ lap and moving to sit in a chair on the other side of his desk as her boyfriend turned back to his work.

Enjolras just shook his head as he continued back to his desk to work on the letters and applications that needed to be spent today regarding possible exhibits that Dr. Lamarque wanted to obtain for the museum.

Sometimes he wished his friends would take running the _L'histoire du Musée personnes_ more seriously. During their sophomore year of college they had gained various roles in the management of the museum that was located on their university’s campus. It was not supposed to be student run, but during that year the budget for the museum had fallen through, and Dr. Lamarque, who was as desperate as Enjolras was to preserve the historical artifacts and the educational experience of the museum, despite its lack of popularity, had arranged for the group of friends to run it in exchange for school credit.

Enjolras had managed to convince his friends that it was a good idea and had organized the management of the museum according to his friends’ various strengths. For the most part, everything had gone smoothly. Enjolras, Combeferre, and Courfeyrac were by far the most committed to the organization. Everyone else did their jobs, for the most part, but they liked to have too much fun along the way, in Enjolras’ opinion. Enjolras took on the most work out of the group as he was in charge of curating the exhibits that the museum housed and contacting various outside organizations to get traveling exhibits to come to their school, as well as staying on his friends’ toes to make sure everything else got taken care of. Combeferre assisted him and kept him sane. In addition, he was also responsible for keeping record of the museums’ activities. Courfeyrac, along with Jehan, was mainly in charge of public relations, but he would help where ever else he was needed. Marius, as the lone business major in the group, was supposed to be in charge of the museum’s finances, but for the last several months he had been thoroughly distracted by his new girlfriend, Cosette. Enjolras had no grudge against Cosette herself, she was nice enough, but the way she was constantly in the museum’s offices and constantly taking Marius’ from his work was getting on his nerves.

As he sat down at his desk, he glanced across the room where Eponine sat, diligently working with her eyes glued to the computer. Eponine was in charge of marketing the museum, she mainly worked at trying to attract the university’s students to come to the exhibits, but she rarely focused all her attention on her work. Usually she would have annoying rock music playing a bit too loudly from a stereo behind her desk and she would constantly be checking her phone. But today her work area was strangely silent and the only time she looked away from her computer was to glance angrily toward Marius’ desk.

Now that he thought about it, Enjolras realized that for the last few weeks the office had been rather silent. He had grown accustomed to the music that Eponine would play, but it had taken him a while to notice its absence. He studied the small dark-haired girl, who was dressed comfortably in a large navy sweater and leggings, as she chewed on the tip of her hair and typed furiously away at her computer. As he watched her, she glanced up and met his gaze and he saw that her poignant eyes were filled with unspeakable sadness—he felt his heart wrench at her expression. She looked away from him and glanced toward Marius and Cosette again and he saw her face crumpled as she turned determinedly back to her work.

He was slightly confused about what was going on. As much as he loved his friends, he was not always observant of the subtle emotional interactions that went on in the group. Then, he remembered something that he had heard Combeferre and Courfeyrac discussing awhile ago about Eponine and Marius. From what he recalled, Eponine liked Marius and Marius was completely oblivious. If that was what was going on, then the situation in front of him made sense—it also made Marius look like a complete ass.

He watched this go on for a while longer. For some reason, he wanted to intervene and stop the pain Eponine was in, but he could not figure out how he could distract her without being too obvious about it. Since they were the only four in the office at the moment, there was no one else he could enlist in that endeavor either.

For once, he felt powerless as he sat at his desk busting out letters and applications furiously. Finally, after what felt like a decade, Marius called over to Enjolras, “Hey Enj, I finished those grant proposals and I’m heading out for the day, see you later,” Enjolras looked up and gave a nod of acknowledgement to both Marius and Cosette as they headed for the door. Marius also waved to Eponine, “Bye ‘Ponine, see you both tomorrow!” he called as the couple left the office.

Enjolras turned to see that Eponine barley turned her head away from her computer, but flicked her hand up and in the direction of the departing pair. When the door slammed shut, Eponine let her head fall to the desktop and Enjolras heard a quiet sob fall from her lips.

He felt like now might be the right time to intervene and offer some form of comfort, as a friend. Sighing, he stood and made his way over to her workspace. She still had not raised her head. He reached out and laid his hand gently on her shoulder, “Are you okay Eponine?” he asked quietly as he leaned against her desk.

She looked up at him angrily, tears glistening in her eyes, “Do you think I’m okay Enjolras?” she retorted bitterly, “I have to sit here and watch that,” she gestured toward Marius’ now empty desk, “happen and he still acts like he’s as blind as a bat to the fact that I feel anything towards him.”

He reached out and began rubbing her back gently, “I know, I know. I’m sorry. I can kick them out next time if you want?”

Eponine shook her head crossly and then she sighed, “Look at them—they’re meant for each other—I have to get used to it sooner or later,” she said sullenly.

As she made that pronouncement Enjolras saw all the light go out of Eponine’s eyes and she just looked dead and defeated. It made his stomach churn to think that Marius had that much power over her. “You’re so much better than him Eponine,” she scoffed at him, but a small smile touched her lips even if it did not touch her eyes, “He doesn’t even deserve to be in the same room as you.”

“Thanks,” she muttered as if she did not really believe him.

“Stand up,” he urged her pulling on her hand. She did what he asked and he pulled her into his arms. He felt a little better when her tense body relaxed into his embrace and she hugged him back, “We’re all here for you, if you ever need to talk—all you have to do is ask,” he assured her. After a few minutes she pulled away and wiped her eyes on her sleeve. Smiling up at him, with a real smile this time, she sat back down at her desk and turned to switch her stereo on.

Returning to his own desk, Enjolras found that he was much more focused with the welcome return of the hideous rock music that resonated from across the room. 


End file.
